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Episode 33, Ethiopia to Sacramento: An Uber Success Story

Michael James

Mulugeta Gebrewahid moved to Sacramento about seven years fago rom his native Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to be closer to his older brother. Known by friends and co-workers as Mule G (Moo-Lay G), the former warehouseman is a husband and father of seven children. He’s active in the Sacramento community via the congregation at Faith Presbyterian Church.

Mule is university educated, but he was unable to acquire a job in his engineering field in the United States, so he worked for several years in a warehouse. About four years ago, via the recommendation of a friend, Mule began driving for Uber. He tells his story in episode 33 of The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Mulugeta Gebrewahid, a native of Ethiopia, has supported his family as an Uber driver for the past four years.
Mulugeta Gebrewahid, a native of Ethiopia, has supported his family as an Uber driver for the past four years. Image © James Raia/2015

With his outgoing personality and business savvy, Mule is ideally suited for his job. He enjoys meeting and talking with his customers. Because there’s a wider customer base for riding-sharing programs in larger metropolitan areas, Mule spends several days a week driving in San Francisco. He shares an apartment near San Francisco International Airport with friends.

During this episode, Mule discusses a wide range of subjects: driving on the often chaotic streets of San Francisco to his wide range of customers and how Uber has changed during his tenure with the company. He enthusiastically shares some the unusual circumstances of the rides he’s provided.

Mule also openly discusses his frustration with not being able to find employment to match his education. And he discusses his appreciation for his transition from a near minimum wage, often exhausting physical labor job, to supporting his family and as an independent businessman driving for Uber. He hopes to one day find employment using his university education.

The Weekly Driver Podcast receives support from AmericanTrucks.com.

Every episode of the podcast is archived on TheWeeklyDriver.com/podcast. We welcome comments and suggestions for our show. We also encourage listeners to share episode links on their social media platforms.

 

 

Article Last Updated: April 13, 2018.

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